Elvina Bay Circuit (West Head)

The Elvina Bay circuit is a short but very diverse loop trail at West Head, with a secluded swimming hole, multiple cascades and waterfalls and nice Pittwater views. A top walk!

Occasionally I have high expectations for a walk, but it turns out to be a little underwhelming and disappointing. Today’s walk was the opposite. I had no expectations. It was the one of the only West Head walks I hadn’t done yet, but since I’ve just finished a Guide to West Head bushwalks I thought I’d better get a few photos of the track to Elvina Bay and add some details to the walk summary. It turned out to be a fantastic little walk. I should explain my pre-walk skepticism: Elvina Bay is one of a few coastal communities along McCarrs Creek and Pittwater that can be reached by boat, or accessed by one of the West Head walking tracks. The track to these coastal suburbs is generally a wide and boring firetrail, that leads you the back of a row of waterfront houses…

I set-up off late in the afternoon with my low expectations down the Elvina Trail, a wide and sandy firetrail. According to my track notes, there is an alternate walking trail down to Elvina Bay, although there’s no mention of this on the trailhead signage. About 300m down the firetrail, there is narrow and unmarked track on the left, which is exactly where my map indicates an alternate route should be.

Down this narrow track I go, as it’s clearly going somewhere and is much more interesting that the main Elvina Trail, which I plan to take back up the hill. I startle a wallaby, which moves too quickly for me to get a good photo!

After 1.1km there is a junction, with a very distinct track heading to the left, and what I think is the main walking track continuing straight ahead. I go left. Although I know from my notes that there is a swimming hole – Lovetts Pool – I’m not expecting to suddenly be standing above an idyllic natural rock pool. Framed by shrubbery and with a small cascade at one end, it would be a fantastic spot for dip on a warmer day.

Upstream of the pool, a rough track ends where the unnamed creek narrows through a sea of ferns.

I continue downstream, alternating between following the creek, or when there’s another steep drop taking a rough path on the right-hand side of the creek. There’s multiple cascades as the creek drops steeply towards Pittwater.

I finally reach the point where the creek plunges of a huge cliff, with a nice view of Elvina Bay and Pittwater. Behind me is a smaller, picturesque waterfall.

I’m not sure from here how to proceed: I could retrace my steps back to the junction and follow the track down to Elvina Bay. Or continue along a very rough track that heads away from the waterfall, along a ridge with a steep drop to the left. With a couple of hours of daylight left, I push on – there’s a a very faint track in places, although there’s many fallen trees and obstacles to negotiate. I pass some impressive sandstone caves and overhangs to my right.

On my left there’s the occasional view of Elvina Bay, and a glimpses of thick, rainforest-like vegetation directly below.

It’s not particularly hard going, and I soon reach a spur at the end of the ridge, where the “track” completely peters out. From my topographical map, there should be another trail at the bottom of this spur. Navigating around the larger boulders, I descend quickly to reach a distinct trail along the bottom of the cliff (at MGA 401768)

(This is where I get a little lost. Not lost as in I don’t know where I am, but I discover that the trail I’m now on stops abruptly at the bottom of a tall cliff, where there are some plastic pipes collecting water from further upstream. I backtrack a small distance, and find another track a bit lower down the valley.) I follow this new track, back the same direction I’ve come from. After squeezing between a couple of boulders, I’m suddenly standing in the middle of a small sandy clearing, in front of a huge, 25m high waterfall. It’s a very tranquil spot and beautiful spot. Another unexpected surprise on my afternoon walk!

From here I head back along the bushwalking trail to where it meets Sturdee Lane, one of the firetrails that follows the edge of Elvina Bay behind a row of houses.

Just before the junction with Wirringulla Avenue (another firetrail that leads to the Elvina Track) is a tranquil and deserted beach. In fact, the whole area is pretty quiet – I haven’t seen a single other person so far.

Rather than continuing along Wirringulla Avenue and then up the Elvina Track, I spot the un-signposted walking trail that goes up the hill (it’s near the junction of Sturdee Lane and Wirringulla Avenue). Near the start of the trail is Frederick’s Grave, marked by a sandstone head stone and foot stone. Frederick, who died after falling off his horse in 1867, was one of the children of the Olivers who made their home in the area.

The track climbs up the other side of the spur to the one where I came down earlier (without a track). It’s only about 600m until I’m at the junction with the track to Lovetts Pool, which is the alternate route to I took down to Elvina Bay a couple of hours ago.

On the way, with dark clouds starting to fill the sky (rain has been threatening all weekend), I make the short detour to an Aboriginal rock engraving site. It’s one of the largest engraving sites in Australia, with the art including a giant whale, an emu and the Baime/Daramulan creator spirit and his emu-wife.

Finishing just as as it starts to rain, I’m mentally ading this bushwalk to one I’ll definitely come back and explore again.

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One comment

Hello, my name is Adam from ParagonTrails, and I just discovered your blog! Absolutely stunning photographs, and so much information here about the trails! I’m going to poke around to other posts and enjoy the images. I wish you the best on your travels, and I’m looking forward to seeing more posts! Happy Trails!